Hospitals and Health Care Facilities Board

Who we are

What we do

The Hospitals and Health Care Facilities Licensing Board was established to monitor, regulate and inspect hospitals and health care facilities in The Bahamas. This Board functions according to the Hospitals and Health Care Facilities Act, 1998 and the Hospitals and Health Care Regulations, 2000.

The functions of the Board are:

To issue licenses for the use of buildings as hospitals and/or health care facilities.
To inspect hospitals and health care facilities.
To initiate investigations into any matter affecting the management, diagnosis or treatment of a person within a hospital or health care facility.
To appoint qualified people (not those engaged in the management of a hospital or health care facility or employed by a hospital or health care facility) to be inspectors for the purposes of this Act.
To do such other things as may be prescribed by this Act or any other written law.

The Board consists of 9 members:

The Chief Medical Officer to the Ministry of Health.
1 medical practitioner selected by the Medical Association of The Bahamas.
1 dental practitioner selected by the Bahamas Dental Association.
1 nurse selected by the Nurses Association.
1 member of the public.
4 persons (other than medical practitioners) qualified as having had experience or having shown capacity in matters relating to industry, commerce, finance, law and administration.

The Minister appoints, from among Board members, a Chairman and Deputy Chairman. After consultation with Board members, the Minister may also make regulations that provide for:

The construction, establishment, licensing, alteration, safety, equipping, maintenance and repair of hospitals or health care facilities.
The classification, grades and standards of hospitals and health care facilities.
The inspection, control, government, management, conduct, operation and use of hospitals or health care facilities.
The qualifications of Administrators of hospitals and health care facilities and of staff, officers, servants and employees of hospitals or health care facilities and the powers and duties thereof.
The qualifications, powers and duties of inspectors.
The admission, treatment, care of, discharge of patients and the control of the admission of any class of patient.
The facilities and services to be provided in hospitals or health care facilities.
The form of applications for licenses.
The records, books, reports and returns to be made and kept in respect of hospitals or health care facilities and the production to and inspection by the Board, or any person authorised by the Board, of such records, books, reports and returns. Fees and reports to be submitted to the Board by a hospital or health care facility.